Vending machine



Mams, l1923. r'1,448,249 Rs. ARTHUR VENDING MAQHINU Filed sept. ".18, i919 5 sheetsshee'q i P SH .37

R. s. ARTHUR 1111111111111 11A/'CHINE Mar. 13, 1923. 1 1,448,249

Filed Sept. .1.87, ]919 'sheets-sheet '2W mw Misv @1x10/mm 'IEE- Mar. 13, 1923. y

y 1,448,249- R. S. A'RTHYUR y VENDING MACHINE Filed sept. 18,4919 5 meets-sheet 5 R1crtARD 6'. ARTHUR a@ m5 annum Patented Mar. i3, 19523.

= Unire sterne; ATENT oI--FicE.

Biemans'. RTHUE, oif'NnWAnK; NEW Jn'RsnmfAssIGNonl BYMESNE lAssieN- MENTS, 'ro UTILITY QABINET COMPANY, or NEWARK, NEW Jnnsnxn Conro- RAITIN or 'Nnu'r'r JERSEY.

VnNniNe MACHINE.

A'ppiioatiovieli Septeiiiber 1e, 1919. seriai'No. 324,363.

To all @v /0m it" may" concern.' miner for an article being'A Vende/th- SC- Be it known that I, Ricinin'i) S. AerHun,v t'i'oii being'telen as on the line 9-#9 in Fig. 8. a'citizen of the United StatesLand a resident Figure l0 is a horiZont'alsectiOn 4Showing of Newark', in the count'yof Essex-, and State the locking niechaiiisrnof `thefniacliine, the of New .,I'eisey, have invented' certain' new section being takena's on the linev 10'-10 in 55 anduseful linpr'oveinent'sinf Vending" Mai Fig'rl'. f chines, of' Wlii'chtlie followingis a full','c'le`aiy Figurell is a detail'yieit' showiiigin sec* and exact'description'. tionthe'unive'iisal lockingbrythesection benio'ng` the principal objects which the ing'tken as on the line ll-ll in F ig". 10; presentv invention has invieW are:v To 'u'r-v Figure 12 is a., detail view showinglins'ec- 60 nisli a multiple unitl inacliine in w'l'iic-li the tion theguidekey With which the locking operation of each unit is independent of' bar is provided. 1 other units; to prov-ide a n iachine' o f-'t'he Figure 1 3 is al ydetailv v iew'showiiig the character mentioned, in which the units means by Wliichth'e key'ishelldinoperative arranged' in groups that' Inaybe multipled;-v position until thev leling'bar isloeked'. 65

t`o prevent attempts to' 'op erzite any of thel units after the saine have been oncey einployed; to lock the iinits univ'ersally5l to As seen in tli'efdrfa'wi'iigsthe pres'ei'tfnias`iniplit'ythel operationb clearing the chineis p a ift'icularl`yy adapted frl v ifding"i nieclianisni of foreign substance. easy and articles Wliicli aref placed in cf ei'isnd 70 readily effected; to display tliearticles to be subsequently aut'oinati'ellyrelesed for d;

' Description.

vended favorably; and toi-sini'plify the com liyery therefroiii. The s1 alzii'se t`o W"`l ii'ch l struction of the machine. the machines are put at' ;p i "esent i's. tlia` t' D- dawmg8- supplying hotels and similar institutions i Figui-e l isl a frontelevationofa machine,- tooth brushes and' siicli. .Tlie rticlesnien. constructed and arranged in accordance with' tioneda're 4siicli are often overlooked by thepresent invention showing two operating the travellers when pc'kingon' the eve of a units and the key' for unlocking the sarne. journey.

i. 1 r i.; j if wv nl" Figure 2 is a vertical section,y the section The containers in whicli the variousarti- S0 beingta-ken es onthe line 2 2 in Fig. l. cles are placed'when once opened shouldnot Figure 3 is a detail View showing one of be reii'lled until the in o 'iiey` wliicli has been the locking niechanisr'ns detached from the depsited in theniaohine in purchase, has machine, and in its inactive position, the been reinoved therefrom. k To vthis .end5eech brokenlines being used t'show' a deposited of the lcking mechanisms with Which each 85 coin or tokentherein. f container associated, is, aranged' to' ,re-

Figure 4 is a rearelevation of the saine. tain its coin unt'iltlie tteiidantreplenislies Figure 5 isa longitudinal section, tlie secthe container. This attendantpbr islljnis tion being taken asv on' the liney 5 5 in Fig. connectedl in ksonne Way withA the proprietor 40 i i ofthe machines; and isrespionsibie forth@ 9b Figure 6 is a vertical section, the section moneys takentherefroni- To, this end, al sebeing taken as on the line 6-6 in l. ries 0f Containers' 2O. are" piifotelly I noiinted' Figure 7 is a .View siniilar toi ig. 3, the in a case having-a top. partition-21', andf a parts of the nieclianisin being shown in their bot'tni partiticiiiy 2 2.' v The containers 2O are acti.ye pos`ition. preferably cylindrical ndedapfted' for re; 95

F`gure8 is a reareleuation, p artly inl sec-A eeiving the usualA s'qugre pclr-ge in',yihichy tion, of a portion of the Inechanism4 and the face and shaving' creerns{ aiifd artic`1es' o "f' a y container for the godsf` being Vended', the like charact'eij are puriey'ed., ,Efchcylinder section isl taken as on lineSSV in Fig'. 6. has t the Lipper endv thereof. a` pintle 23. Figure 9 is a .horizontal section of the con- Around eac-h pintle is Wrapped a coil spring 100 ting the 24. Two openings are formed in each of the containers, one of which forms a window provided with a transparent pane 25. Yhlormally this window and pane are turned to the iront ot the machine when the container holds an article to be sold. The rear opening 26 is sutliciently large to permit the introduction ot the said article.

A relatively long spring loop 2T is placed in each of the receptacles so that the article being offered will be pressed toward the window and pane 25 thereof. ln this way the cabinet or assembled containers is given neater appearance.

Each of the -various containers is normally locked in closed position. They. cannot be re-locked in closed position after the contents have been removed therefrom until the money received thereitor has been taken from the machine or 'from the locking mechanism with which the container in question is associated. The means by which this is accomplished disclosed best in Fig. 8 of the drawings as a spring operated Q latch 28.

rlhe latch 28 has a pivot 29 extending between the walls of a housing 30 therefor. The spring 31 with which each latch is associated is a loop, the free ends of which extend outside of the container.

In the closed or active position of the containers, each latch 28 engages a nich 32 formed in the upper edge of the locking mechanism with which the particular container is associated. Each locking mechanism is associated with one .of the various containers and operates to secure and release only the container with which it is associated. These locking mechanisms operate to, first .release the container for permitspring 24 to rotate the container, so that the opening` 26 is turned to the front to permit the purchaser to extract the article held in the container. The locking mechanism retains the token or coin with ywhich it isoperated, and is itself` locked in closed position by a universal or masterlock of the machine, as more fully explained.

As shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each of the locks is pivotally suspended by nieans of pins 33 in lugs raised from the upper partitions 21 of the case holding the containers.

As seen best in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, a

hinge is 'formed by overturning the upper extremity7 of the face plate 34 or" each of. the locks. In the normal closed position of the locks, the :tace plates 34 areheld vertically, saidface plates filling the space between the containers 20. Each tace plate has a coin slot 35, through which the coin representing the price of the articles to be purchased is introduced into the lock. Adjacent the lower end of each 'face plate 34, are slots forming passages 'for the side bars 36 of each of the push-plungers 37.

As seen best in Fig. 7, the members 36 straddle the rectangular coin chute 38. lThe interior dimension of: the chute 38 approximates the width of the opening 35, in the face plate 34. Through horizontallyT disposed passages 39, extends a pin 40. The pin 40 co-operates with a block 41 to arrest and support the coin 42, or a token used in lieu thereof, in its delivered position.

As shown best in Fig. 2, the block 41 has an upwardly inclined surface which leads to the sill at the delivery end of the block 41. The sill 43 co-operates with a plunger 44, to lift the releasing lever 45, the said lever being lifted by the coin- 42 just sufliciently to lfree the latch 28 from its engagement by the nich 32 with which it is associated. ite-adjustment of the sill 43 and of the plunger 44 may be refined to such an extent that any article having a slight fraction less than the diameter of the coin designed to operate the machine, would fail to lift the lever 45 suiiiciently to release the latch 28, and so fail to operate the machine.

It has been explained above how, wheny the latch 28 is lifted from the nich 32, the spring 24 rotates the container 20, to expose the opening 26 to the end that the article sold may be removed from the container. It will be noted that when the lever 45 is rocked on the pin 46, a trigger end 47, with which it is provided, is introduced in line with the passage or coin slot 35, the object being to prevent the introduction of a second coin prior to the removal of the first coin 42. By this method theoperator of the machine is safeguarded against introducing a coin which would fail to operate the machine in the event that a bogus token. or so-called slug has been introduced, and which, by reason of its failure to correspond exactly with the size of the coin, had tailed to release the container.

Normally, the plunger 44 is held in its lowered or inactive position by a pull spring 48. The operative connection between the plunger 44 and the lever 45 is formed by a circular socket 49 in the plunger 44 and a disk-like knuckle 50 at the end of the lever 45. A similar office is performed for the side bars 36 by a spring 51, which normally operates to rock the side bars 36 on the pins 46, until the pin 40 connecting the said side bars 36 rest against the face plate 34.

To avoidithe chutes 38 becoming clogged, the said chutes are provided with, vertically disposed slots 52. As seen best in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the said slots are so disposed that should the chutes become congested or clogged with some foreign malil) renal, :acida-any ina-1itiene1y, it may te' removed byfrcg the' same dawn' to the loweror deiivey'end'f the` said enne-es;

After' Being.. moved' by' the plunge-rev' and side' bar's'36 torelease the'cntaihe'r, t'hecoiii 42 isy held in` 'thel position shown in Fig. 7,

.until manually extracted therefrom" by .tlie

the chutes 38. Each dog has a pivot pin 54 and a supporting spring 55 by which it is normally raised so that the head of each dog enters a recess 56 with which each chute, and the block 41 thereof, is provided. After the plunger 37 and parts associated therewith have moved the coin 42 to the position shown in Fig. 7, the spring l returns the plunger to its normal position, the coin 42 being held in the position shown in Fig. 7 by the plunger 44 and the spring 48 connected therewith, the end of the said plunger resting on the center of the coin 42.

All of the latches 53 are depressed by rotating a locking rod 57. As seen best iny Fig. of the drawings, the rod 57 extends lengthwise of the machine, and is provided at intervals, with flat portions 58. Each fiat portion 58 rests over one of the latches 53.v

When the rod 57 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the flattened portions 58 permit the springs 55 to lift the latches 53 to engage the recesses 56 of the chutes 38. 1Whenever the rod 57 is turned to the position shown in Fig. l0 of the drawings, it is evident that all of the latches 53 are depressed, releasing all of the chutes 38, thereby permitting any one vor all of them to be swung on their pintles 33.

moved.

The rod 57 is rotated by means of a key 5f). The key 59 is of any suitable manufacture and is preferably a key diiiicult to imitate, and of what is known as the master type. rlhe key has an extension which passes through a recess 6l besides the keyhole in the frame of the machine. The movement of the key 59 to rock the rod 57 carries the extension 60 beyond the recess 6l and prevents the withdrawal of the key. The key has to be moved so that the extension 60 corresponds with the nich 6l, and in that position of the key, the rod 57 is placed in a position where all of the latches 53 are in operative or engaging position. By this means is avoided the failure of the `attendant to lock the `machine while withdrawing the key.

The coins, if. any have been deposited, may then be re- `argaaa is .1` am enceintes; as, if laine 1 necessary 'to'y "sii'ing' outward 'oneof the l chutes to expose the screws 62. j

It will be observedl that after the machine has been operated so that any one or more of the containers have been released, thesaid y retainers cannot be'returned yto what may be termed the full position and be held there until after the coin, which has previously operated it, has been removed.` Therefore the receptacles cannot be reiilled bywmeddlersand returned to what seemingly is the operative positiornas the attendant on the machine is the only one that can use the key 59 for the purpose of releasing the chute which holds the coins so that' they may be removed for relooking the containers in normaly position.

`The latch 28 is guided-by the cam-`64 i when entering the n1ch32.` When the container 2O is released, and springsin the opposite direction, the latch 28 is prevented from interferingwith the similar latch of the next mechanism by the. cam 65, which is above the riding surface of the cam 64,

are generally made upin whatmay be termcontainers in a bank, eachv receptacle being associated with one of the coin chutes. When a greater number of containers aredesired vprovided for each ofthe locking mechanisms.v It will be noted particularly in Fig. -ythat:` .the ridingysurface offthe. camy 65 'extends' ltwill-be understood vthat these machinesin any installation, this is secured by vhaving f two banks, one abovethe other, the upper onev being secured to the lower by suitable fas-- tening devices which are. passed through thev bottom of the upper bank, and the top of These .fastening devices` the lower bank.

ylio

are heldl withinthe casings, and therefore f vcannotbe meddled withA andthe machine. or portion thereof,cannot be removed from its installation.

To prevent tamperingwith the coin' held.`

in any of the chutes and locking mechanisms associated therewith, andto formga guide for'4 the latches' 53, I providecheek plates 63.

10 lofthe drawings, are spaced apart to re- 'i ceive the sides of the-chute 38 and the coin troduction of any instrument through a par- I tially opened space covered by thefrecepi tacles 2Ov when released andvso prevents the The plates 63 as seen-best in Figures2, `6 and 129 malicious Withdrawal of the coin after the for releasing the same, said mechanisms be- 10 receptacle has heen delivered of its contents. ing operable by a device surrendered to said mechanism for retention thereby until manually extracted therefrom; and means for 5 A machine as characterized having a plupreventing the locking of said containers in rality of containers, each having delivery7 closed relation' prior to the extraction of the opening normally closed; a plurality of sindevice from the unlocking,mechanisms.f` gle service unlocking mechanisms, each opv j eratively related to one of said'containers `RICHABD S. ARTHUR; 

